


Countenance

by konacoffee



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Dragon Ball FighterZ - Freeform, Female Reader, Reader-Insert, basically a canon isekai, i'm late to this game but it's fine, if there's demand for a romance pairing i'll take suggestions, tags to be changed and added as it goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-07-20 03:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19985662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/konacoffee/pseuds/konacoffee
Summary: As someone newly introduced to the franchise, you ought to be super excited to find yourself thrust into the world of Dragon Ball... but not exactly conventionally. Everyone is in peril as a new threat arises: Android 21 with her insatiable hunger, and a barrage of clones! However, no one can fight without your help. Will you, a human from our dimension, be able to pull them out of this situation?![ Inspired by Jak_Dax's Teardrops fic. This is a flip on their situation, with the player being involved in DBFZ's Super Warrior Arc instead. ]





	1. what the hell's going on

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Teardrops](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14445294) by [Jak_Dax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jak_Dax/pseuds/Jak_Dax). 



A new indulgence has taken over your life lately. It’s something that you previously thought you would never touch, but after hearing constant chatter about it, you decided to take the plunge and finally dip into it. Sooner rather than later, you find yourself absolutely drowning in its content. Yes, at this point, you could say you’re fairly familiar with the Dragon Ball universe, but not in the ways that many, many others are. Whereas everyone grew up with the beloved franchise and cherished it in childhood, you’re rather the opposite; you didn’t find it appealing until adulthood. As a matter of fact, you had been binge watching and reading the series up onto the point where you’d mysteriously blacked out. You didn’t think much of it at first, assuming you had fallen asleep like many times before… but your rude awakening told you there was much more to that.

You wake all of a sudden, dazed and foggy, by a familiar voice that you weren’t entirely sure you were actually hearing. Even without your eyes open, the sunlight is blinding. When you do open them, you come face to face with exactly the very person you thought of: Bulma Briefs, a beloved but overbearing character belonging to none other than the Dragon Ball franchise. Or, at least, someone that looks identical to her. Your heart leaps into your throat, but before you can react verbally, she speaks.

“Oh, good, you’re coming around. I didn’t expect you to conk out like that. Scared me half to death.”

She was talking to you with familiarity, which instantly confuses you. She doesn’t know who you are, does she? You give the surroundings a passing glance. You only vaguely recognize the area, but there’s still so much fog in your head that it’s hard to mentally analyze -- and that’s without all the internal screaming going on in your brain.

“Where am I?” You murmur, half curious and half-dazed. You meet her eyes again, and they narrow. You swallow the lump in your throat -- you know you said the wrong thing.

“About that… we’re at my place -- in the yard? Don’t you remember? Keep it together, would you?” She searches your eyes, desperate for an answer that she hopes is there. When she can’t seem to find it, she retracts, her arms folding in on each other. “Oh, gosh -- you’re not kidding, are you? Goku, please be kidding…!” She pleads, leaning in closer. “Did you hit your head? Catch a cold? Please tell me you at least know who you are!” You can hear the desperation in her voice, and it breaks your heart a little. You really can’t give her the answers that she wants from you.

“S-sorry,” you manage another mutter with your muddled brain. Only now do you take stock in the voice. Even with the slight pitch change due to it coming from _your_ body, it still sounds familiar. It alarms you; this clearly isn’t your voice. “I don’t think… I’m who you think I am.”

“What do you mean?” She sighs harshly, hands on her hips. “You’re Goku, of course! This charade has gone on long enough. Here,” seemingly out of nowhere, she pulls out a hand-mirror. “The evidence. Look in the mirror.”

Hesitantly, you peer into the mirror. Instantly, you reel back. You have _the_ Son Goku’s face and body! You visibly flinch, both with Goku’s body and in expression. You stare, incredulous and shocked, unsure of how to take this news. At least now you understand why the voice sounded as familiar as it did, but that barely explains anything. By now, you’re panicking on the inside, but you try to stuff those emotions back where they came from. This isn’t cosplay, you can’t assume that. You don’t understand what’s going on.

“Hmm…” Bulma stands beside you, watching as you open and close Goku’s (pretty gigantic) hands, viewing them with such astonishment. “Judging from your reaction… you’re not really him, are you? But, you’re Goku on the outside, that’s for sure.” Her expression shifts into one of near irritation. “Did you… get amnesia?”

“What?” You suddenly reply, catching her off-guard. Though, that seemed to anger her further. She huffs, her brows furrowed and hands fisted.

“Oh, I give up! You chose a great time to clock out, Goku!”

“Listen, I’m not--” You try to refute her claims, but a sudden thunk grabs both of your attentions. Your eyes land upon the source of the noise: the arrival of another familiar figure… a rather large, and imposing figure. You blink as if his image will disappear, but no such luck. Yes, you recognize him, but you could’ve sworn that he was killed a long time ago. It made you question what he was doing here.

“There you are.” He speaks with clarity, his voice deep and holding purpose. Bulma, having had about enough of this day already, storms outside the gazebo to confront him, only to shirk back upon realizing who it is. You follow suit.

“Wait, you’re… but how in the--? Android Sixteen… is that you?”

Good to know you’re not the only one confused. She attempts to interrogate 16, to no avail. He doesn’t reply to her.

“It was not me you repaired, but another Sixteen.” He finally speaks. It catches you both by surprise, but he pays no mind. Instead, he directs his sight onto Goku. “You who are linked with Goku, come. There is much to be done.”

The jaw you share drops. You? He’s talking to you? He knows you’re here?! You visibly tense, as does Bulma in front of you. You don’t know what to say to that. If it’ll give you answers, then you’re highly tempted to go along with what he says, but something feels off about this whole thing. 16 isn’t exactly greeting you amiably, but with a sense of urgency, and that concerns you.

“Should you decide to resist… I will force you to comply.” He suddenly powers up before you, an aura of ki surrounding his being as he stares you down. That cinches the whole idea that this can’t be good for you, but even more than that, he’s suggesting a fight. You have never fought another person before, not even in defense. With no experience, you can’t stand up to someone like that!

“Uh, Goku?” Bulma’s voice shakes, “I don’t know what’s going on, but you better kick this imposter’s bionic butt! --Ah, hold the phone…” She turns to you, brows knit together and eyes wide. “You know how to fight… right?” She awaits your reaction, looking for any positive inkling of a ‘yes’. Of course, she doesn’t find one, and you can hear the falter in her voice, “... Wrong. This is turning out to be a bad, bad day…!”

So, you’re left with no choice but to fight, despite the alarm bells going off in your head. You stand across from 16 while Bulma took reprieve in the gazebo behind you. You can’t describe the fear you feel, merely just standing there. 16 is positively glowing with energy, ready to take you down in a moment’s notice. He could absolutely obliterate you if you’re not careful… but that can’t be. You’re in Goku’s body. You ought to be fine, right?

“Well, that body _is_ Son Goku’s. It’s bound to be just as hardy. Do not worry,” 16 says, removing his forearm to reveal the cannon hidden underneath it. “I will utilize less-than-lethal force.” The cannon starts charging, the yellow energy bright and singeing. “Your termination would be disadvantageous.”

And, he shoots.

You expect to be nothing but ashes, or at the very least blown away, but that doesn’t happen. Something triggers in Goku’s body, and you feel a surge of power flowing through you. The gentle whirring of a ki aura surrounds you. Once the smoke clears and you’re able to get a better look, you realize: Goku’s body instinctively turned Super Saiyan. You blink with disbelief, and a goofy smile breaks out on your lips at the feel of cheating death. Your small victory is short lived, however.

“Well then,” 16 announces. “Your strength is congruent with my data… and I need not hold back.”

He charges at you, but you hop up and behind him to avoid any oncoming hit. Adrenaline starts to pump through your veins, the quickening pace of your heart screaming at you to do something. You raise two punches, one low and the other high, before swinging your leg low to knock him off his feet. As if it was habit, you shoot upward, taking 16 with you, to drive more punches and kicks into him before slamming him back down with both hands laced together. He hits the ground hard, but clearly it’s not enough to stop him. You backed away from him, breathing heavily, but not from over-exertion. This has got to be the most adrenaline you’ve ever felt in your life! You take a moment to relish in the success of your initial attack, but you dwell on it too long.

16 rises from the gravel, taking advantage of your momentary lapse to throw a harsh punch right to your gut. The pain is unreal, and it knocks you back what feels like 30 feet. Though, you realize that doesn’t feel as bad as it could have. If 16 had hit you while you were in your actual body… you might not even be conscious.

He’s nice enough to close the distance for you. He tries to punch you again, but you dodge just with centimeters to spare. For awhile, you’re able to match blows, only managing to land a few at a time but nothing too detrimental. You end up taking the fight well off Brief compound grounds, deciding this squabble wasn’t worth property damage, and into the destroyed streets of the city. (Bulma, of course, follows. You’re not surprised she wants in on the action without actually getting in on the action.)

You take a hopeful breath, then decide to swoop on in as close as you can get. You sweep your leg out again, delivering what you hope is a harsh blow to his middle to try and back him into a nearby corner. From there, you let out barrage after barrage of punches and kicks. Your aggression is running at an all-time high, and you do not want to be hit again. However, you aren’t paying enough attention, and he kicks you out of the way, sending you skidding against the road’s asphalt. Now, you’re about the same distance away as you were the first time, but you’re not planning on getting any closer. You’re losing confidence in being able to defeat him completely.

“Though but moments after the link, your strength has already matured.” You cock a brow at this comment; was that a compliment? Is this a good thing? Unfortunately, you haven’t the chance to ask, as there are new arrivals floating in the air behind 16. He’s immediately alerted by their overpowering energies (which even you can feel). He grunts in surprise, and you follow his line of sight.

There stands the God of Destruction, Beerus, and his counterpart, Whis. You’re familiar with these two, as well, even though you’ve yet to touch anything after Z Kai at this juncture. Information was just a click away where you’re from, after all.

“Salutations, Bulma. What exotic cuisines have you prepared for us today?” Whis greets politely, his form as graceful as ever.

“Whatever it might possibly be, it had better be worth the trip.” Beerus, on the other hand, enters with a crabby attitude. He raises a brow toward 16, “Oh, who’s the bruiser? He’s certainly not human, from what I can tell.” This seems to alarm the android.

“Threat detected. Recommended course of action: abort.” Pretty self-explanatory, you think. If you were in his position, you might flee, too. Though, that doesn’t mean he’s done, particularly as he turns to you and throws you a chilling stare. “Goku, just know this… I will return.” With that warning, he retreats, flying off into the unknown and officially leaving you. You watch, both vaguely frightened but also flooded with relief.

“So… he’s gone? Just like that?” You hear the disbelief in Bulma’s voice as she watches alongside you.

Beerus scoffs, “Just like that, huh.” His eyes quickly move onto the next topic at hand, which apparently seems to be you. “Hey, you, inside Goku!” You immediately stiffen. All the earlier adrenaline flushed straight from your system, and suddenly, you feel the fight’s affects washing over you. “The jig is up… it’s not possible to fool a god.”

And there your stomach drops.

“So, you mean to say he’s not Goku after all?”

“It is Goku, physically speaking, but his power is awfully weak.” Whis meets your terrified eyes, maintaining his smile. Wow, that only serves to keep you feeling even worse. “What’s left over has someone else’s power. If I were to put it simply, there is another person in his body.”

“N-no way. He’s… possessed?!” Bulma’s revelation makes your stomach sink further, possibly down to your feet. She switches to anger like the flip of a coin, pointing at you accusingly. You thought you couldn’t get any more afraid. “You hear me in there, you squatter?! Get out -- now! Goku’s got his work cut out! He doesn’t need to be playing host to you!”

“W-wait, hold on a minute, here!” Your (albeit beefy) hands shoot up in front of you to wave in surrender. “J-just listen to me for a second! I don’t know what’s going on, either! Please, you have to believe me!”

“Grr, I don’t want to hear squat from you, squatter!”

“Bulma, please mind your temper.” Whis cuts in, as calm as ever even in the face of Bulma’s rage. “You see… this predicament isn’t our poor friend’s doing.” That single comment seems to soften her demeanor, as instead, she looks on with confusion. The god merely passes a glance your way, and although he somewhat scares you, you can tell he does want to help… at least, you hope. “Now, I can see that you can hear us perfectly clear. Could you do us a favor? Goku is in there somewhere. Mind getting him for us? He’s sleeping, of course, but since you share the same body, you should be able to wake him.”

You quickly nod, deciding to give it a go without complaints. You’re not going to make the mistake of defying a god. You close your eyes, setting Goku’s hand against your chest as you try your hardest to figure out how to mentally communicate with a soul who shares the same body.

 _“Goku?”_ You call out. You’re not even sure how you sound, but you’re positive that it can’t be your actual voice. _“Goku, can you hear me? Are you awake? Please, wake up…”_

 _“Urngh…”_ You hear a groan, and your heart skips a beat. The man of the hour comes into view, surrounded by darkness and standing on top of what seems to be a pool of water. _“Huh? Who’re you? And… where am I?” Confused, he surveys the area, but you know he won’t find much. “... That’s odd. I can’t move a muscle. Hey… what the heck is going on?”_

 _“I don’t know,”_ you finally respond. He looks around for the source of the “voice”, but can’t seem to find it. You peek out of the darkness, nothing but some semblance of a human figure shrouded by light, kind of like a blanket of ki. He blinks, staring at what seems to be you. _“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the answers. Um, but, Beerus and Whis are here. I think they know something. Oh! I do know one thing.”_ You raise a “finger”. _“I’m… kind of in control of your body right now, Goku.”_

 _“... What?! Hold on,_ you’re _in control of_ my _body?!”_ His face scrunches into an angry one, and you audibly shiver. You back away, though you have nowhere to go in this lightless place. You wave your arms in front of your ethereal body.

 _“H-hey! I don’t know what’s going on, either! L-like I said, Whis just asked me to come in here and wake you up! I think he may have answers!”_ This seemed to calm Goku down, at least enough to stop scowling. He shifts to an inquisitive look, crossing his arms.

 _“It’s the funniest thing… I_ want _to wake up -- mostly because I’m super starving -- but I just can’t seem to do it! There’s no exit here, either, and smashing my way out of here doesn’t seem to be an option. Man, this is super weird. Am I dreaming or something?”_

 _“Goku, if you were dreaming, do you think I’d be here talking to you coherently right now?”_ You challenge, crossing your own arms.

 _“I don’t know, weird things happen in dreams all the time!”_ Well, he’s got you there, but you’re still pretty sure this isn’t a dream. You still feel the sting of 16’s attacks, after all. A hum from outside averts your attention, belonging to Whis.

“Hmm… since there’s no response from Goku, it’s safe to assume that he can’t move.”

 _“Huh? Wait, Whis… you can’t hear me, either? Hello?!”_ Goku borderline whines. He’s nearing a bit of a desperate tone, but he isn’t at the level that Bulma was at earlier with you. _“But I can hear Whis just fine. Man, I am in a bit of a pickle, aren’t I?”_

 _“Well…”_ You hesitantly drawl. _“Since we can both hear him, how about we listen for a little bit? Maybe we’ll learn something.”_ The Monkey King’s allusion hums in thought, though he can’t really be mulling it over. For now, it seems he silently agrees with you, and you proceed to listen on and watch when Whis’ voice strikes again.

“Perhaps these bothersome waves have something to do with Goku’s current condition. I would surmise they are suppressing his power, forcing our Saiyan friend’s consciousness into a state of hibernation. It’s the only explanation.”

“Then other fighters with strong energy are likely experiencing the same results.” Beerus inputs matter-of-factly. Bulma, on the other hand, begins to panic.

“But, how are you two able to bicker about food unaffected?”

“Please, we’re gods.” Beerus sneers. “To us, these kinds of waves are completely harmless.”

“We need to come up with a solution or Goku will be out to lunch indefinitely.”

 _“Hhhah, I wish I was out to lunch right now. I’m starving.”_ You nudge Goku with your nonexistent arm, and though your body doesn’t seem to be physical, he still feels something poke at him and gives you a pout in reply.

“Oh, hold on!” Bulma implores. “The rest of the gang went to scope out the damage across the world.”

“They got paralyzed along the way,” Whis suggests, his tone hinting no concern.

“Or they got body-snatched like Goku did over there.” Beerus, too, leaves a comment, but with a face that would make your skin crawl were it not for your shared body.

“Oh, man…!” Bulma laments with such distress, “Wh-what’re we gonna do?! If everyone’s knocked out, this is our greatest crisis yet, hands-down!” You hesitate in stepping forward, wanting to comfort her, but entirely unsure as to how. It’s Goku she’s familiar with, not you. Are you even allowed to come anywhere near her? You open your (Goku’s) mouth to speak, but you’re interrupted.

“Stopping those waves is our only chance at correcting this matter.” Whis’ eyes fall to the blue-haired maiden. He holds a smile so well maintained that it looks like he knows more than he’s letting on, and really, he probably does. “Bulma, might you have an idea as to what’s causing them?”

“Hm, that’s a toughie…” She seemingly recovers enough to answer. “But, wait. Why did Sixteen show up earlier?” She turns her gaze to you, “He was also talking about someone being “linked” to Goku. I think there’s a connection here. There’s gotta be.”

“It’s a lead,” Whis encourages, a single finger pointed up. “You might as well follow it.” This serves to fuel Bulma’s confidence, and her grin shows as much.

“Right. Let’s get to the bottom of this! Come on, guys, the rest of our crew needs to be saved, as well.” She shoots a poignant stare toward the gods. “Can’t do it alone, though. I’ll need some muscle…” She trails off, though it’s obvious where her train of thought is leading.

Beerus is having none of it. “Just to reiterate,” he confirms. “We’re not helping, understand?”

“Aw, don’t be so cold!” Bulma playfully whines, clapping her hands together beside her face to complete the ‘please do this for me’ look. “I’ll prepare a meal so good, it’ll blow your godly taste buds away!”

 _“Aw, man!”_ Goku, on the other hand, actually whines. _“That would be great right about now!”_ You start to wonder how you can turn off his thoughts if all he’s going to do is complain about food. Then again, this is Goku you’re thinking about.

“Did I not make myself clear? We’re not lifting a finger, lady!” Beerus asserts, his inflection bordering on dangerously aggressive. “If you need help, you might get a better response by asking the soul inside Goku.” He gestures toward you with his eyes. “He’s got control of Goku’s body, right? Then he can do the fighting for you.”

“Hmm…” Bulma considers it, her chin rested between her index finger and thumb as she looks you over. “There’s no other choice, is there?” She looks to you with sympathy, which you can read in her smile. “Plus, you probably need to get back to your own body, anyway.” That smile changes to one of assurance, and confidence. “Well, then it’s settled! Welcome aboard!”

You look her in the eye, providing a small smile that you're not sure is genuine. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a lot of joy in reading Jak_Dax's fic, and I really wanted to write something like a companion piece to it! I have a few ideas as to where this is going to go, but I'm not sure which direction is going to work just yet. I'm also unsure of the romance component, so I'll leave that up to what people decide. I know the first couple chapters won't show much because it's all exposition and setting up, but I hope you enjoy what I have so far. Thank you all very much for reading!


	2. can someone tell me please

You realized how many important pieces of information you missed in that conversation with the gods. Apparently, there are man-made waves suppressing the power of powerful warriors, but that isn’t the worst of it. There have been clones made of the strongest warriors and villains this universe has ever seen, and they’re out causing a ruckus. Because of the aforementioned waves, all the warriors out investigation are likely incapacitated. So, it’s up to Goku, and by extension you, to go out and save them -- which includes beating a few clones along the way. You would think that you would’ve caught the important parts of that exchange, but you were too busy dawdling with Goku to notice. Your attention span isn’t necessarily the sharpest tool in your shed. 

Strangely enough, you’re slowly adjusting to the weirdness of the situation. You’ve gotten past the initial heart attacks, though now anxiety lies in its wake. You’re frightened that you can’t live up to the expectations you’re held to, especially what with being only a human soul from a dimension that doesn’t do any of this. Sure, fighting isn’t unheard of, but it isn’t played there like it is here. You wonder how long you’ll be able to hold out, even though in the moments of battle, you seem to… switch gears. 

_ “You  _ sure  _ you haven’t done this before?”  _ Goku beams with a particular spark to his tone that betrays his overall excitement. You had just finished fighting off a clone of his, and although said clone may have appeared intimidating, he wasn’t actually much of a threat at all. Meanwhile, Goku wasn’t the one technically fighting, yet he was still having all the fun. Having only fought a few times, it was beginning to run you down, but you were also starting to get the hang of it. Clearly, Goku thinks so, too. 

“Yes,” you confirm as firmly as you can, what with your current predicament. Sharing a body makes communication harder than you first assumed it would. It also doesn’t help that this is probably the first personal question he’s thrown at you since meeting him. You recall your days as a child learning martial arts the moment he asked, making you rethink your answer. “I mean,  _ no _ , this isn’t _ technically _ my first time fighting, but it’s been a really long time.”

_ “So you have fought before! I knew it.” _ He acts triumphant toward being able to guess only a paltry aspect of your life. How relevant will your life information become in this scenario? You can’t imagine it’ll be too useful, given the circumstances.  _ “You’re a natural at this!” _

“Well…” The praise brings heat to your shared cheeks, and you thank Kami that he isn’t physically there to see it. “Whatever. If I’m being honest, I don’t think it’ll help with the situation at hand.” You admit, looking off into the landscape while pondering to yourself. You’re starting to feel the prickles of anxiety take root, and you know you want to stop talking.

_ “What are you talking about? Of course it’ll help! Experience is the best thing to have! I knew there was something more to you the first time I fought with you.” _

Effectively deciding to end the conversation, you ignore him in favor of locating the ship. Of course you have a ship, you have Bulma -- why wouldn’t you have one? (This is thought somewhat sarcastically, but of all the ridiculous things you’ve faced thus far, this is tame in comparison.) You board easily, walking toward the helm that sat the aforementioned scientist. She turns to face you upon noticing you. 

“Welcome back,” she greets. “I bet fighting another guy with Goku’s face surprised you. There are loads of those clones all over the place now. Who knows when another one’ll attack! You’d better stay alert -- you hear me, soul inside Goku?”

You nod, somewhat out of habit, and somewhat out of agreement. You’re glad to be out of the battlefield to get some rest, but you understand the urgency in needing to go back out there. Someone has to take care of the problem, and since Goku’s practically incapacitated, you have to step in and do your part. You feel lucky enough that you have a part to begin with. The very idea that this whole thing is actually unraveling before your eyes is mind-boggling -- you never thought something like this could, or would, ever happen. Luckily, your prior knowledge hasn’t gotten you in trouble yet.

“Oh, before I forget.” You perk up at Bulma’s positive inflection. “There’s some good news for the both of you.” She stands from the pilot’s seat, motioning over toward a big red button placed on the console. It’s highly tempting to push for yourself, but you know better. She gestures to the button, palm open. “I managed to analyze those mysterious waves and mod this plane to neutralize them! If everything goes according to plan, we should be able to free Goku’s consciousness. In other words, the old Goku should be back soon.” You blink in amazement toward her explanation. Damn, is there anything Bulma can’t do, if given enough time? 

_ “Yeah, let’s try it out! I’m dying to move again!” _ Goku cheers from inside, knowing her can’t do much else. That brings a smile to your (his) lips. Though you don’t know what’ll happen to you, you’re a little more than eager to find out. Bulma’s finger hovers above the button, staring at it with such intense hope. 

“Goku says he’s excited to try it.” You iterate for him, which earns you a firm nod. 

“Well, we’ve got nothing to lose…” Promptly, she pushes it. The entire hull lights itself with these rings of energy, flowing down from top to bottom. There’s no initial effect, but within seconds, you find yourself being pulled away. It frightens you a mite, wondering just how you’ll be affected. When you open your eyes again, you’re in that same place you saw Goku in earlier: that dark “room” with the floor of water. You look around, but like he claimed earlier, there’s no sign of an exit anywhere. 

“Hey! I’m back in the outside world again! Awesome.” Goku’s voice rings clearly, albeit within an echo, along all corners of the void. You can’t see anything anymore, so you have to rely solely on what you hear. As a visual learner, you’re really disappointed. 

“Alright, it worked!” Bulma cheers, but it’s short-lived. 

“Wait, something’s not right. My body, it feels… it feels heavy and weak.” You hear the rustle of his gi as he moves into a power-up position, followed by a heavy _ “haaaahhh!” _ courtesy of Goku trying to do just that. Nothing comes of it. “I knew it. I’m as weak as a kitten. I won’t be fighting like this, that’s for sure.” He grumbles, “Maaan.” You feel for him, somewhat. You’d be upset too if you were a powerful warrior unable to access your power on your own volition. 

“The wave neutralizer still has some kinks,” Bulma admits. “I guess it’ll be awhile until we can restore your strength.” 

“Or,” Goku counters. “Maybe we could skip all that and use the Dragon Balls to fix this whole mess. You can do that, right, Bulma? You can do anything!” 

“No can do,” she immediately shuts him down. Somehow, you thought that was the case. That’d be too easy, otherwise. “The Dragon Balls are stone, remember? They might as well be bowling balls.” 

“Oh, right. I totally forgot about that.” In his defense, you suppose, it’s an easily forgotten detail that’s often glossed over even in the series itself. You can’t blame him for forgetting; you would, too. 

“Ugh, you forgot, huh?” His long time friend sighs. “I guess you really are Goku. Anyway, soul inside Goku, were you listening?” You perk a little, knowing she’s addressing you. You can’t very well give her any confirmation that you heard. “I trust you got all that. Until we can restore the real Goku’s power, we’re going to need you on battle duty.” 

_ “Hey, can you tell her that I got that? I can’t really reply to her like this.”  _

“Right. The soul says they got it, Bulma.” 

“Good, at least one of you is paying attention. Okay, time for us to go find Sixteen and save our friends!” You assume she moves to sit back down at the ship’s helm, intending to drive the thing. The more you stand here, the more you realize how much you dislike the lack of sight. Auditory hints are fine and all, but you really wish you could see the small interactions first-hand. Those interactions are part of what got you invested into the series in the first place. 

“Hey… I feel something!” Goku warns, barely a moment later. “It’s faint, but… is that someone’s power? Yeah, it is. I’m sure of it! It’s gotta be Krillin!” Your heart flutters in your hollow chest at the name’s mention. Krillin is a personal favorite, so you can’t squelch the excitement felt upon the prospect of meeting him, let alone helping him. “C’mon, we gotta save him!” 

You get no say in the matter, anyhow. You’re off the ship within moments, hovering over an incapacitated Krillin on the ground. A clone of him isn’t too far away, stalking closer to hover above his body. It readies a ki attack, preparing to blast him, but neither you or Goku let that happen. 

“Are you ready?” Goku calls to you, standing before the enemy that has its eyes set on you. You give a small but sincere _ “yeah, let’s do it!” _ before he hands over the reigns. You’re in the driver’s seat again; your sight returned and your body raring to go. You’ve gotten a little more used to this, and especially with Goku’s capable physique, you feel you can do just about anything. Oddly enough, you’re becoming more and more excited with each passing fight. You would chalk that up to being with Goku, but you feel like that’s not the full answer. 

Clone Krillin gives you little reaction, merely standing across the way. He doesn’t react first, so you do -- shooting forward with charged ki for a hell of a sucker punch, hitting him three times before knocking him into the air. You waste no time in reappearing above the figure to slam him back down (that’s quickly becoming a favorite of yours). With a shout of glee, you fly back down to see him standing again, but instead of pushing forward, you create some distance. A triumphant smirk already rests on Goku’s features while you charge your shared ki, pushing your palms forward, one on top of the other, with your fingers curled inward. Oh, you’ve  _ always _ wanted to do this, circumstances be  _ damned _ . 

“Kame-hame- **_HA…!_ ** ” 

The blue blast flies forward, disintegrating the dirt in its path before it obliterates its target -- and the clone is down. The adrenaline in your veins calm down, seeing that the fight is over with quicker than it started. Come to think of it, these clones don’t have the best reaction time, which you find strange. 

_ “Whoa there, tiger!”  _ Goku speaks, but it sounds almost like a scold.  _ “I get wanting to give it your all, but don’t use everything all up at once. You used up a lot of ki in those short bursts, so I want you to rest for a bit. I can’t have you running empty on me, alright? Now, let’s get Krillin back to the ship!” _ Oh. Did you go overboard? You really couldn’t tell. Honestly, you had gotten so caught up in the thrill of it all, that you hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. A bit ashamed, you blush as you turn around to retrieve Krillin, deciding to follow the advice given.

You lug Krillin back into the ship, setting his unconscious body on one of the strange lawn-chair looking slates to rest. There’s utter silence while he lays, leaving the air awkward as you fidget within Goku. Sure, you dislike talking, but leaving things as they are is also just as bad. Fortunately, maybe less than an hour passes before Krillin finally wakes up, and you flood with relief upon hearing his voice. 

“... Oh, hey there, Goku. Heh, heh…” His laugh is a treat, you’ll admit. You like the sound of his voice, even if it is a little rough around the edges. Goku cheers, glad that he’s alright, and you would do the same if you could. “Say, where are we? Is this Bulma’s airplane? The last thing I remember is investigating the origin of the clones, but then I got all dizzy…” He pauses, you assume trying to recollect the earlier events. “Let’s see… nah, it’s no good. I can’t recall anything after that. So, did you save me, Goku?” 

Said Saiyan huffs his goofy laugh, “Yeah…” 

You can’t help but feel a little offended, what with being the one who actually fought to save him. But, you remember, he isn’t caught up to speed yet, so just throwing it out there that someone else saved him would be too confusing to shove in his face all at once. For now, you let it slide.

“Thanks, Goku. You never let me down.” 

“No need to thank me. It’s nothin’!” Yeah, it really  _ is  _ nothing. You didn’t do anything, you think with the slightest touch of bitterness. You have to remember, that’s not important right now. “After all, whenever I’m in a pinch, who’s the guy who’s always there to throw me a Senzu Bean?” 

“Well, sometimes I think I’d rather be the one eating them, though…” Krillin murmurs, and you can hear the slight envy in his voice. You can’t blame him. Goku laughs it off, and you feel like that’s his way of claiming he understands, when in reality he probably doesn’t. 

Bulma cuts through the casual conversation with some urgency, “A lot’s gone on, Krillin, and not much of it good. Now, where to begin…?” 

You sit through another winding exposition dump, now actually picking up the details you missed before. It helps you come to understand the situation at hand a little better, even though you usually tend to ignore these kinds of things. For now, you keep quiet as you listen to the banter. Krillin claims he wants to fight, and of course, no one has any objections -- except for Bulma, who interrupts the two’s excitement by bringing them back down to reality. 

“Haven’t you guys, like, lost your power?” 

“Oh, yeah,” Goku murmurs. “I guess it must’ve slipped my mind. I imagine a little more training might restore some of my power, but I would still be in no state to fight by myself.” 

“Huh?!” Krillin comes to the realization of what he means. He refers to Bulma, confused and a little flabbergasted. “Wait a minute, so does that mean I can’t fight, either?” 

“Hmm… I might just have an idea, but we need that soul inside Goku to agree.” Your attention is piqued, but you have no way of affirming that you’re listening. “What do you say? Do you think you can move from Goku over to Krillin?” You blink wildly at that proposition. Move over from one body to another? You didn’t think that was possible! Though, then again, you’d never given it thought until Bulma brought it up. 

“Whoa-ho, what?! So whatever’s inside Goku is going to link with me?!” Krillin sounds incredulous, with hints of disbelief and maybe a twinge of fear planted in there somewhere. You feel a little offended. Does he automatically assume that you’re bad news, or is he just that nervous? 

“Krillin!” Bulma chastises. “Both of you, close your eyes and take a deep breath.” She pauses, waiting for the two to do just that. “Okay, now it’s your turn.” She redirects her voice, you readily assume toward you. Had you been there physically, you would’ve flinched -- though, you might have, anyway. “Try moving to Krillin.” 

You have no idea how to do that. Though, you do feel the slight warmth of a light, like curtains being pulled back. You decide to move towards it, realizing that the warmth is instead fading away rather than blanketing you like you thought. Soon, you find yourself outside, or what you believe to be outside, and you sense another energy ahead of you. That has to be Krillin. You can’t necessarily see your surroundings, so you’re putting your trust in what you feel, gradually floating towards the newest source. As you get closer, you notice it gets darker, and noticeably (actually) warmer. It’s when you find yourself completely enclosed that you realize you’re again in some sort of void, standing atop of rippling water. You look down at your hands and note that you sadly still have no physical form, but there’s no time to unpack that because you hear Goku’s voice farther away than before. 

“Whoa! So are you, like, out of my body now?” 

“Wahh! There’s a stranger inside my body!”

You shield your nonexistent ears. That was much louder than you anticipated. For you, that confirms that you’re within someone else. It feels odd, to say the very least. The fact that you can switch bodies at will sounds like an incredible ability in theory, but for you? You’re more used to solidarity and isolation. You like being alone. Having to share a body with someone, especially when you can’t return to your own, sounds like a heavy weight on your psyche and your sanity. But, it’s not like you can pick and choose here… well, not the scenario laid out before you, in any case. 

“It worked! You can change who you’re linked with!” Bulma cries jovially; you can hear the relieved smile in her voice. It truly is a convenient discovery. It makes things an awful lot easier on everyone if you could switch between them, especially during battle. “Now everybody can fight!” 

“So… does this mean that when Krillin’s out there fighting,” Goku ponders allowed, already sounding like he’s pouting. “I have to just wait on the sidelines and not do anything?” 

“If only one link can exist at a time, then I guess so…” Bulma sounds apologetic, but flips her tone very quickly. “But, if we can get more people to join us, it’ll relieve some of the strain on Goku.” 

“Well, we can’t just rely on Goku all the time, can we?” Krillin chuckles. That’s never stopped you before, you want to say, but bite your tongue. This is different, you have to remind yourself. Leave those empty promises in the past. 

“Hmm? I guess… I don’t mind.” Goku huffs, rounding his tone to a complaint. Of course he would be disappointed. “It’s not like I was really doing the fighting myself, anyway. I’ll just have to make do with some image training. That is, until I get the chance to fight again!” Like a full circle, he rounds right back to a positive attitude. 

“Only you would think of that, Goku. Anyway, I guess we’ll all have to work together from now on.” The conversation sounds like it’s about to end, so that must mean everyone’s getting back to business. You keep relatively quiet, remaining holed up in Krillin’s void, which is what you’ve decided to call that dark space with the seemingly watery floor. You don’t have any idea what to do from here… and you figure that’s going to happen a lot. Between finding what they need to find, there’s going to be a lot of downtime. 

You’re thankful for the breaks, at least. Since this whole thing started, you’ve barely had a moment to think. Many mysteries surround why you’re here, seemingly out of nowhere. You were just an average young adult, trying to find your way and make a life for yourself. You try to remember what was going on before you woke up in Bulma’s backyard, but nothing notable comes up. It was an average night, resting at home after a full day’s work. Nothing was out of the ordinary to your memory. The more you force it, the less it wants to unravel for you. You want answers, but you don’t know how to find them -- and it’s killing you inside.

“So…” Krillin drawls, nearly spooking you out of your skin, if you had any. Right, you almost forgot: you can never have a moment of peace. “Uh, what’s your name, stranger? I figure it’s gotta be awkward just being called ‘that soul inside’ whoever, right?” 

You blink, incredibly surprised though you shouldn’t be. Krillin is incredibly nice and since you’re occupying his space, you figured he might want to start conversation… maybe to help you feel a little more at ease. You haven’t exactly been the talkative type up til now, after all. 

_ “Me? Oh,” _ you fumble, suddenly unsure of how to speak. Come to think of it, Goku hadn’t asked you for your name yet, so this is the first time anyone’s even inquired. On top of that, you have no idea how to even approach the fact that you’re meeting who is essentially a fictional character in your world. Your current anxieties certainly aren’t doing you any favors.  _ “I’m ____. It’s nice to meet you, Krillin.”  _

“Oh, good, you’re nice.” He chuckles, but it’s more out of relief than comfort. Maybe he really was frightened of you. “____, huh? An interesting name. It’s nice to meet you, too.” A pause. You can feel the slight awkward air even from within the place you assume is his subconscious. “I just figure learning your name might help us a bit, ya know? Like, when we need to change links, and all that.” 

_ “Um, yeah. It makes sense. Thank you, I appreciate that.”  _ And silence reigns again. You’re not the best with social conversation, and you’re even worse with them in person. New people intimidate you. Sure, you know details about his life and you know him, but that’s entirely different from meeting him. Krillin seems to sense that you’re uncomfortable and backs off, not poking the bear too hard. 

“I, uh -- I look forward to working with you, ____. From what Goku’s said, you’re a pretty good fighter already, so I can’t wait to see what you can do. --Well, with me.” He’s trying, and you can tell. It warms your heart a little. 

_ “... Yeah, I--”  _

“Hey, guys!” Your thought is interrupted by Goku suddenly approaching, sounding as fervent as ever. He’s itching for a fight. “I think we found Yamcha! C’mon, let’s go get him!” His voice began to fade after the mention of Yamcha’s name, which tells you he’s already halfway off the ship. Your heart beats a little faster, and your earlier troubles go ignored. 

Yamcha -- of course you remember him. He was always the butt of everyone’s joke, but honestly? You liked him. You thought he didn’t get enough credit for how tough he was and how strong a fighter he was… though, even you would admit, he has his moments of stupidity. …Alright, well, a lot of them. But you wouldn’t be one to abandon him in his hour of need! 

_ “Let’s go get him, Krillin,” _ you encourage, the beginnings of a smile etched in your tone. You have to focus on the task ahead. _ “We can’t leave anyone behind.”  _

As if he can feel your level of determination, he replies confidently, “Yeah, let’s go.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set-up is always a pain and a process, but I thank you for your patience!


	3. maybe it's a dream

Finding and fighting for Yamcha could be considered a lucky break, even though he wasn’t the most damaged you’ve ever seen him. When you found him, he was alright enough to talk, at the very least. Though, he claimed that was all he could do. Together with Krillin and an occasional tap-in from Goku, you made quick work of the clone about to terrorize him and helped Yamcha onto the ship afterwards. The fight wasn’t anything special, and you find that you’re becoming less nervous with each passing battle. Fighting with Krillin is pretty different from Goku, you note -- that much is obvious. He has a more… interesting approach. He isn’t the “go hard, hit hard” type, but considering his history, you knew that from the beginning. What you didn’t expect him to do, though, was suggest that you throw rocks to offset your opponent. You had a good laugh at that, and nearly derailed the fight, but he got you back on track in time to avoid any serious attacks. All in all, a successful mission. 

You sit through another exposition dump, quietly biding the time until Yamcha comes to understand. 

“Ugh… at least I can move a bit more freely, now.” You hear the huff in his voice; he sounds tired, and the worst of it hasn’t even started. “Anyway, I think I get the picture. So, it was those waves from that thing Bulma made that paralyzed me all of a sudden, huh? I don’t exactly like having my power sealed, but I guess our enemies are in the same boat.” He utters an admittedly cute chuckle. “But, I’m sure you’ll work it out.” 

“No, Yamcha.” Krillin denies his pass-off immediately. There was no way any of you were planning on letting him go after finding him. “You’re as much a part of this as we are. In fact, we really need more good fighters to join us.” 

“Seriously?” He sounds incredulous, and you’re a little surprised to hear that. You know that he’s been retired from fighting for quite a few years at this point, but it hurts your heart to hear that he doesn’t seem to want to join the adventure. Back in the day, he’d jump at the chance to join, and even complain when he wasn’t a part of it. Though, since then, there have been many events to make him rethink that. 

“Yeah, Yamcha!” Goku implores with vigor. “So what do you say? You feel like fighting side-by-side with us again?” 

“Wow, uh…” Yamcha hesitates, “I don’t know, I kinda retired awhile back. My martial arts skills are gonna be kinda rusty. Are you sure you even want me to fight?” It saddens you to hear him so doubtful of his own skills, and it reminds you of all the times he’s been played off for laughs. He deserves better, you want to assert, but remain quiet. He’s getting his chance to step up and prove that he can do it, you don’t have to say anything for him. 

“Huh? Of course we do!” Goku seems to have the same idea, very openly encouraging him. “I mean, you’re already wearing your Gi.” 

“‘Course we want you to!” Krillin echoes, pushing his supportive bit. 

“See? Even Krillin’s gonna be fighting. So, the more, the merrier. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine!” 

“ _ ‘Even’ _ me, huh?” Krillin grumbles, but you can hear a slight smile in his tone despite the unintentional jab from his friend. “You’ve really got a way with words, Goku…” 

“You think so? Chi-Chi says that sometimes, too.” Goku laughs freely, despite the very concerning thing he’d just said. He turns away, about to return to the search for allies, but he stops short. “Oh, yeah, Yamcha -- you should meet our linking buddy! You’re going to have to get used to fighting with them, after all. You should test the link between you two.” 

“Test the link…?” 

“Yeah, since we all have to fight with the help of our friend here,” Krillin sets a hand to his chest, referring to you. “It’d probably be a good idea to just test how it feels with them, so you’re a little more used to it by the time we have to fight with them.” He peers down to his chest, as if he could look at you. “Why don’t you try moving over to Yamcha, huh? I promise he’s friendly.” Motioning back to Yamcha, he instructs, “You should close your eyes and take a deep breath. That’ll help open a link for them.” 

“Close my eyes, and…? Uh, okay.” Without questioning too much, Yamcha does as asked, though you can’t imagine he’s completely okay with this. Who would be okay with sharing their body with someone else? Though, you do what you have to do, and what you have to do is share a space with their souls. You’re glad for the mutual understanding. 

Like before, you pull your energy away from your current host, relocating to the open link just ahead of you. You find some convenience in these openings; it makes things much easier than just banging your proverbial head against a proverbial wall. Regardless, you snuggle right into place, finding those now-familiar watery surroundings in a dark enclosure.

“You’re out of here now, right?” You hear Krillin from a distance. 

“Whoa! So, there’s… someone in my body now, huh?” Yamcha’s voice is loud and clear, along with his following awkward chuckle. “Guess it does feel different. Uh, hey there, bud. How’re you holding up?” 

_ “Probably better than you,” _ you tease. He flinches, likely due to hearing a voice in his head, or because of your ferocity. Either way, you’re amused. 

“Sounds like it went off without a hitch.” Krillin chuckles, a hint of amusement in his own voice. He probably surmised what happened judging by Yamcha’s external reaction. “We don’t know when we’re gonna be facing more of those clones, so you guys should rest up while you can. I’m gonna go talk to Goku. You should socialize a bit! Get to know each other. It might make things easier during battle since we rely on this whole link thing.” 

“Socialize, huh…?” Yamcha murmurs as his companion walks off, left with you and his own devices. The oncoming silence is long and vaguely awkward. Neither of you are very good at this. 

_ “... Do you want me to take over for a little while, so you can get used to how it feels?” _ You ask, trying to carefully tread this thin ice. You can tell almost his whole frame stiffens the moment you talk, and you wonder if he’s still getting used to having another presence intruding his body. In fact, you’re 99% positive that this is entirely the case. 

“Sure,” he replies after some thought. You understand his hesitation, but you’re nonetheless glad that he agrees. You mentally activate the switch, and the first thing you do is look at your hands, still finding it exceedingly  _ weird _ that you’re in another man’s body. You really hope you come across 18 or some girl who can fight -- being out of your original body type is too odd for your tastes. But, you make do with what you have. 

_ “Whoo,” _ Yamcha sighs, voice vaguely echoing within the murky walls of the subconscious. You close your eyes, and you’re able to see him, clear as day.  _ “This link thing is gonna take some getting used to…”  _ He looks up, and for a second, his expression pales. 

_ “What?” _ You ask,  _ “What’s wrong?”  _

_ “N-nothing, it’s just… I don’t know why I was expecting to see another person in here talking to me. You’re just a… yellow silhouette. And your voice… is a little weird, too.” _ Out of habit, you check your hands, and discover that he’s right. Your physical form still doesn’t exist, and that makes you pout. Now it’s your turn to sigh, but there isn’t anything you can do. 

_ “Yeah, I wish I was another person talking to you. I don’t like this any more than you do.”  _

_ “This feels… off, y’know? Having someone else… inside your head, and stuff.” _ His eyes fall to the floor.  _ “Never expected this. First Goku and Krillin get the call, and now it seems they want me.” _ He quirks a half-grin and a chuckle to match.  _ “But hey, I was one badass dude in my fighting days. Just give me a chance, you’ll see!”  _

_ “I have no doubt,” _ you laugh alongside him.  _ “All of you are capable fighters. If anything, I should be worried about how I handle your bodies… this is just as weird for me as it is for all of you. I mean, I’ve never controlled someone else’s body before. I’ve barely even fought before. Goku was so proud when he got me to admit that I used to be involved in martial arts, but… that means nothing nowadays.”  _

_ “Hey,”  _ you look up in time to see Yamcha giving you a soft stare. _ “I’ve been out of the fighting game for a long time, myself. But that doesn’t make what I learned any less useful, y’know? I’ll bet it’s the same for you, too. So, c’mon, give yourself some credit.”  _ He smiles, and it’s the brightest thing you’ve seen in these dark subconscious caves.  _ “How about we relearn how this works together? Pick up some new stuff while we’re at it?”  _ He offers his hand to you, and you blink in surprise. It seems your ethereal body doesn’t bother him as much as it did a few seconds ago. 

_ “Yeah.” _ You take his hand, and you both shake on the agreement. His hand is warm, like the assurance he’s been giving you.  _ “That sounds good to me.”  _

_ “Cool.” _ He releases his hold, returning that hand to rest on his hip. You almost frown at the loss.  _ “By the way, there’s not much to worry about with this whole clone business. Goku and the gang’ll clean things up, no problem.”  _

_ “But you’re part of the ‘gang’, Yamcha. So you’re going to help clean it up.” _

_ “Ghh--! Yeah, guess I am…” _ He laughs worriedly, but acts like he’s trying to keep cool.  _ “And hey, you’re part of the gang now, too. You’ve gotten this far, so I can’t doubt that you’re a good fighter, even if you’re out of practice.” _ Though the praise is rudimentary at best, you find yourself blushing a tad bit -- as close as you can get to blushing in this state of existence. 

You open your mouth to retort,  _ “Well, I’ve--”  _

“Yamcha! ____!” 

Your lips shut tightly. Oh, you’re so tired of being interrupted. You sigh, bid Yamcha a quick goodbye and retreat to being in control. When you open your eyes, you’re face-to-face with none other than Goku himself -- less than a few centimeters away from your face. You yelp, in Yamcha’s voice no less (he lets out a shout of his own in your head), and stumble back a few steps. Luckily, you’re able to keep your balance, so you stay on your feet. 

“Goku!” You scold, fists clenched at your side. “You scared the crap out of me! Don’t stand so close like that!” 

“Sorry! I was just wondering why Yamcha was standing there with his eyes closed like that. Were you guys talking?” 

“Yes,” you sternly reply. “We were socializing, just like Krillin suggested. What’s the big emergency?” Your tone betrays some sarcasm at the end there, and you repress the urge to roll your eyes in irritation with the top Z-Fighter. 

“We found more clones,” he replies urgently, but you swear you hear undertones of excitement. Oh. There was actually a reason for his interruption. It seems you really  _ don’t _ know when you’ll come across more clones. “We’ve gotta go down there and take care of them before they cause any real damage. You ready to give Yamcha a shot, ____?” He meets your eye, and you can see him brimming with confidence. “Remember, I’m always open for you to link with, so if you want to switch it up, you can count on me!” 

‘Link with me so I can fight, too!’ is probably what he really wanted to say, but didn’t want to be too invasive about it. You sigh, but shake your head and crack a smile. You can’t stay mad at him, no matter the reason. He’s too damn endearing. 

You walk past him toward the ship’s exit, pausing to look behind you, “Alright, you big Saiyan toddler. Let’s get going.” You swear you hear a low squeal coming from said Saiyan toddler behind you on your way out, but you can’t fully confirm that. You say your goodbyes to Bulma before jumping out the door and into the air. 

You fly above the familiar scene of clones huddled up together, likely on their way to attack some poor city who’s none the wiser. There’s two: a Krillin and a Goku. You can handle this, you’re sure. You (as Yamcha), Goku and Krillin land in front of them, raring to get rid of them before they can cause any damage. You’ve got to ready yourself for a fight again. 

_ “You ready?” _ Yamcha asks, and you wonder if he can feel how tense his body’s feeling because of you. You’re nervous, though you know you shouldn’t be. You’ve done just fine with Goku and Krillin thus far, you have no reason to doubt your ability, especially against copies of those very fighters. Still, working with someone you’re not familiar with is nerve wracking. Admittedly, you’d rather not damage him. You shove those feelings off to the side and nod after a deep breath, moving into a fighting stance. 

“Let’s do this.” 

To your surprise, the Krillin clone comes barreling forward. In the second before its complete arrival, Yamcha shouts, "Duck down!" to which you respond automatically. Down you go, and a familiar image pops into mind. A self-satisfied smirk quirks your lips. With reflexes so fast you'd swear you were invisible, you shifted your body weight onto your hands, lifting your legs and gifting the over-eager clone with some harsh kicks to the head. It knocks him back fifteen feet or more, easily. Returning to full height via half an acrobatic flip, you re-enter Yamcha's starting stance, and take a breath. 

"Jeez, Yamcha, I can barely make it past five push ups, and here you are, able to hold up your whole body weight!" 

_ "Like I said, it's hard to forget what you've already learned," _ he beams with a shot of pride.  _ "But now's not the time for praise. You can do that after we've finished this!" _ You refrain from shaking your head and keep your laughter to yourself, forcing yourself to stay focused. He is right, after all. 

The clone tries again, implementing the same strategy of charging closer. You easily flip back, avoiding the oncoming attack, before closing in to strike low. It throws him back, but with the help of a super dash, you're able to keep the pressure going. Various kicks and open palm strikes bring the enemy into the air, where you deliver a punishing dive kick to send them flying back into the dirt. You don't know what it is about slamming these guys into the ground, but you know that you enjoy it. 

The Goku copy makes its move, but the time it gave you is enough to plan your next attack. When you zip closer for a short range hit, the clone counters with a grab and toss, throwing you off-guard, but Yamcha lands with a grace you wouldn’t expect out of him. The surprise set you back some, and clearly now the copy thinks it has an advantage. You dodge and block for a few hits, searching for an opening. When you find one, you strike through it, seamlessly incorporating many jabs and a final kick slam to create more distance. You have an idea of where to go, and you’re thrilled by the thought. 

_ “If you think you’re ready, then go for it.”  _ Yamcha seems to be mirroring your thoughts, having the very same idea. This simply translates to: you have to do the Wolf Fang Fist now. Adrenaline pumps through your shared veins, and you feel positively pumped. Thinking about it, you focus your available ki, and channel it into a rising power-up. The starting stance follows, and you  _ go _ .

Diving forward but keeping low, you throw jab after jab in succession to clone Goku’s abdomen. He hadn’t the time to dodge. A few low hits, followed by a hard uppercut against the chest, flowing into another hard punch, then by another barrage of fast-paced jabs. The firm step forward also serves as a kick, and a wind up for the finale: a ki-fueled strike using the Kamehameha hand gesture. It easily throws the clone a couple dozen feet ahead of you, slamming against a nearby rock outcrop. It slinks to the ground, and doesn’t move. You’ll count that as a win, especially as the Krillin clone had yet to get up. 

You return to a casual stance, and you’re met with cheers from your comrades. When you turn around, there are the real Krillin and Goku, smiling brightly at you and commending your efforts. For a moment, you feel great. You feel like you did something good for once, and you revel in their praise. After a round of ‘congratulations’ and a bit of a breather, you all pile in back on the ship to proceed with clone clean-up duty. There’s still more to be found somewhere else, you’re sure. 

Yamcha didn’t feel as powerful as Goku or Krillin, but his moves are fast and he’s quick on his feet. As you’ve found with Krillin and Goku, you didn’t necessarily have to think as much as you naturally respond to the movement you make. Yamcha may be out of practice, but his muscle memory is on point, which makes your job much easier than having to actively look for what you need to do. And, of course, you’d be an absolute mess if they weren’t directing you in the heat of battle. You’ve learned to take their advice when they tell you. 

_ “I don’t get why you didn’t believe in yourself before; that was awesome!” _

You close your eyes to come face-to-face with Yamcha wearing a beaming, proud smile, and it makes you smile a little on the inside, too. 

_ “See? Told you that you could do it. And you did it in my body, too -- feels pretty great, actually.” _ He airs some unearthed pride, and you let him have it. He deserves to feel proud of himself, even if you did the majority of the work. In fact, you were so sure he’d leave it at that, so you’re surprised when he speaks again,  _ “But it couldn’t have been done without you.”  _

_ “What?” _ You scoff a laugh,  _ “Pffft, please. I just did what you told me to do.” _

_ “No, no,”  _ he insists, placing his hand on what he supposes is a shoulder. _ “It’s all thanks to you. Sure, I directed you sometimes, but you did most of that on your own. You’ve got some smart intuition there.” _ A thoughtful pause.  _ “Y’know, maybe that’s the reason why you were linked with Goku in the first place. You kinda think like him.” _

_ “Please don’t insinuate that.”  _

_ “I-- I mean it in the nicest way possible!” _

It may come off as a joke, but to be honest, you hadn’t thought about that. Why were you the one chosen to be linked with Goku? Was it an accident, or was it on purpose? If it was, then who was the one who pulled it all together? It gives you a fair reminder that you still have no idea how you got to be part of this in the first place. Before, thinking about it gave you a headache, and you’re not so sure you’re any farther than where you started. You need to get answers, and soon. You can’t be stuck here forever, after all. 

… Can you? 

The idea appears as a revelation. You had yet to think about what’s going to happen after all of this is said and done. How are you going to get back home? … Do you even  _ want _ to go back home? 

“Hey, _____, what happened? You said you’d link with me!” sounds your very own resident Saiyan toddler, again pulling you out of your thoughts. You’ve stopped minding at this point, though he did manage to spook you a bit.

“Goku, I made no such promise. Next time, okay?” You laugh, despite the childish groaning from the adult Saiyan. Those quandaries will have to be set aside for another day. For now, you need to focus on where you’re at. “You’ll get your turn. Now, I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to none other than the lovely Jak_Dax, I've been able to get a much better idea of where this story is going! Updates may not be quick, but I promise that I'm working diligently when I can! Thank you very much for your patience and support! Also, I apologize for the lackluster combat scenes -- I'm not very good with them, but I'm trying my best.


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